Which do you think has a better chance of taking an elk while bow hunting, two guys hunting solo or hunting together?
I have always thought solo, but this last season I had several elk come running directly to my calls and I couldn't get a shot. If I were calling for a buddy, he probably would have taken the elk.
With archery I would have to say two is better than one. One guy to hunt and one guy to do the calling. It would be hard to get a broadside shot with them coming directly in to the call. Now, this is based on what I've read as I have only done solo rifle hunts.
When two hunters get along well, & think alike & are on the same page as what to expect from the other, then there's no more lethal way to take elk or consistently have opportunity after opportunity with two!
Because of this I choose to hunt with two or three at times, there's tons of action that a lone hunter could never experience! I also hunt alone at times when not "running & gunning" Wallows are great for the lone hunter. Some ambushing or Call for location then Stalking. It's all great fun!!! But your level of success, (meat in the freezer) will go way up!
' Decoys are a great assett to the lone hunter as well.
ElkNut1
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"Those last 60 yards are hard to bring em in. If you're 60-100 closer to the elk than the caller, that seems to take care of that problem." -MThunter
My thoughts exactly.
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Solo they just seem to hang up in the 60 -80 yd range. I have used the Montana decoy and it helps some, but you really need the caller behind the shooter.
I would say that 2 ups the ante, as long as like what elknut says, the 2 are on the same page. I have killed several bulls by myself and it all comes down to setup and call direction at this stage. When by myslef I will set up in and around thicker areas, leaving the bulls to look around a little as they can not see the lovesick cow. This keeps the RED flag from going up and may give you a good broadside. I will direct my call in different directions from where I am sitting, it is kind of like throwing your voice. I do prefer 2, but 1 will work also!!!!
I like both, and have success in both ways. But I prefer to hunt double or triple, any more than that is a crowd. With three, you can have two callers which IMO is sometiems better then one with a shooter placed out in front.
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Vegetarian - Old Indian word for lousy hunter.
"The rich... who are content to buy what they have not the skill to get by their own exertions, these are the real enemies of game." -Theodore Rosevelt's Principals of the Hunt
I hunt solo, in part because I can't find anybody else who gets 16 days vacation in September. Solo hunting presents challenges which I have not entirely solved, to be honest. I call in lots of bulls that hang up just out of bow range or come straight in. 350, 330, 310 (x2), 290 (x3), 260. Those numbers are approximate antler scores of bulls I've called in the last 4 years that I'm sure somebody would have killed if I was a pair!
I like solo hunting, though.
Story time: My brother knows a fellow who tells this story. He took out his son and his son-in-law on a bow hunt one time. The father took the calling position in the rear with the two younger hunters positioned out ahead in the classic triangle formation. The son-in-law had never bowhunted elk before but was instructed to take his post, and SIT STILL! Well, they get into some great action, with bulls going bonkers around them. One really big bull is coming in right on top of the son, when the son-in-law gets restless and jumps up to walk over and pass the time of day. In doing so, he spooks the big bull before the son can get a shot. Some harsh words are passed, and the son-in-law storms off in a huff. He heads back to the father's position, where a second bull is coming in. The father has his bow drawn, when he sees an arrow zip through the bull he was preparing to shoot. YUP, son-in-law walks up and shoots the bull right out from under him!
Elk bow hunting solo or together?
